The first inhabitants of the Philippines arrived from the land bridge from Asia over 150,000 years ago. Throughout the years, migrants from Indonesia, Malaysia, and other parts of Asia made their way to the islands of this country. In the fourteenth century, the Arabs arrived and soon began a long tradition of Islam. Many Muslims are still living in the Philippines today.

In 1521, Magellan claimed the land for Spain, but was killed by local chiefs who did not want Spain’s inhabitance. However, Villalobos made a Spanish return in 1543 and named the land Filipinas after King Philip II. Spain soon after began their control. By 1571, the country had control over the entire archipelago, except for any Islamic areas. The original inhabitants of the Philippines decided they wanted independence, and fought against the Spanish during the Spanish-American War. The Spanish succumbed to defeat and therefore, the Philippines declared itself independent of any power. However, the United States thought otherwise and purchased this land for $20 million from Spain.

In 1935, the US decided to give the Filipinos independence and so Manuel Quezon was sworn in as president, as the process for full independence began. The Japanese invaded the Philippines and ruled from 1942-1944 until the US invaded, which won the Philippines its independence completely in 1946.

Ferninand Marcos became president in 1965 and ruled until 1986. However, he was not well liked and accused of fraud, and an assassination of someone who opposed Marcos lead to protests. In 1986, an election saw Marcos and his opponent, Cory Aquino, the widow of the assassinated, both claim victory. The widow was powerful enough to spark enough civil unrest throughout the country to make Marcos flee.

Aquino established a democracy, but was lagged with economic problems. She was succeeded by Fidel Ramos in 1992. Ramos did try to help the slumping economy and clean the country from its corruption and difficulties.

In 1998, Ramos was replaced by movie star Joseph Estrada, more famous for his acting abilities than anything political. He promised the people a better economy, but ended up putting more money in his pocket than anywhere else. He was impeached and put on trial. He tried to block any access to his financial accounts, so the people staged demonstrations in Manila.

Arroyo, the vice-president, was sworn in as the new president. She has decided to let Estrada stand trial for his crimes. During her presidency, separatist groups have been linked to terrorism, the US has sent military assistance, and a military coup was staged.

The Philippines is a diverse culture—a mixing of native and foreign influences. Over 60 different ethic groups are scattered throughout the country. With this range of backgrounds, a variety of languages and dialects exist (over 80 total). The national language is Pilipino (based on Tagalog), with many speaking other languages such as Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Llocano. English does remain the language for business. Christianity is widely practiced—the only Asian country that practices Christian faiths. However, many Muslims also call the Philippines home.

Cuisine is also varied due to the diverse culture mix. You can find gastronomy with Chinese and Spanish flair. Barbecue is popular, so are dishes served with rice and vegetables cooked in vinegar and garlic. Tropical fruit is abundant and you will find in the cuisine and in desserts, along with crème caramel.

Philippine education is patterned after the American system, with English as the medium of instruction. Schools are classified into public (government) or private (non-government). The general pattern of formal education follows four stages: Pre-primary level (nursery and kindergarten) offered in most private schools; six years of primary education, followed by four years of secondary education. College education usually takes four, sometimes five and in some cases as in medical and law schools, as long as eight years. Graduate schooling is an additional two or more years.

There are 162 private and public colleges and universities, such as the University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University. The Asian Institute of Management, a graduate school of business, offers high-quality manage ment education specifically designed to meet Asian needs.

Metro Manila has a high literacy rate of 96 percent with student population of 2,351,944.

Classes in Philippine schools start in June and end in March. Colleges and universities follow the semestral calendar from June-October and November-March. There are a number of foreign schools with study programs similar to those of the mother country.

Filipino food has been influenced by Spanish and Chinese cuisine.

Rice is the staple food and eaten with most meals. Noodle dishes are also very popular.

Filipino cuisine is unusual as meat (pork and poultry) and seafood may be combined in a single dish. Recipes often use ingredients such as coconut milk, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, tamarind and vinegar. Desserts include rice cakes, leche flan and sweets dishes made from fresh fruit (guavas, mangoes, papayas and pineapples). Ice cream is used in desserts or eaten on its own. Fruit juices are available and green lemons are used to make drinks. Beer and rum are produced locally.